Journalists protest legislators

Journalists protest legislators

JAKARTA: Dozens of journalists protested on Friday against a
House of Representatives Commission, which summoned three editors
after its members were questioned by journalists about a possible
graft story.

The House of Representatives' Commission III for legal affairs
on Friday summoned the editors of two daily newspapers and two
radio stations.

The journalists demanded that the Commission III for legal
affairs apologize and promise not to make similar summonses in
the future.

The editors were summoned after lawmaker Djoko Eddie Soetjipto
said he had been interviewed by reporters from the four media
about an alleged bribery case involving Commission III members.

The editors of the Batavia daily, Elshinta radio, and Trijaya
radio attended the summonses on Thursday, but the editor of the
Suara Pembaruan newspaper did not show up.

The three editors said they had never published any reports
about any alleged bribery that took place during a recent auction
of illegally smuggled sugar.
-- JP